Risk communication in public health of today

Risk communication is an essential part in public health. However, it has been considered the weakest area in many countries by the World Health Organization. Communicating risks in a responsible manner aiming to protect people’s health, and sharing information to ensure successful response, are main elements in any public health campaign.

The mass media is considered an important public health communication tool to increase awareness and motivate the public to make healthy and well-informed decisions. Indeed, it has been revealed that after people complete their school education, the mass media becomes the most important source of information and, frequently, the only source when it comes to science, scientific process and health. To avoid misleading media coverage in public health, effective collaboration of researchers, healthcare providers and policymakers, with journalists is required.

In his lecture, Dr Daniel Catalán will present a few examples about global public health challenges and risk communication in relation to the current anti-vaccine lobby and antimicrobial resistance. Dr Catalán is an Associate Professor of Health Communication in the University Carlos III of Madrid, and a former staff member in the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.